Grave of the Forgotten
by Katkatw1luv
Summary: Zero, after centuries of feeling no emotion, suddenly gets the urge to visit someone. This person stirs up the forgotten feelings he's been missing for so long. Grave of the Forgotten. Rated K.


_**Grave of the Forgotten**_

Zero stared out the window of his bedroom, his mask in one hand. In the other, a golden pocket watch rested. He turned, put on his mask again, and walked out of his room. The hallways were silent, not a person was visible. The usual crowds of people that filled these halls were gone. All the better for Zero, because he would rather not be seen at this time of day. Zero walked down several flights of stairs, and arrived at a side door leading to a mini garden that was encased within walls. Pushing through the doors, Zero felt a drop of something land on his mask. He slowly extended his hand out, and felt droplets fall onto his open palm. It was starting to rain. Zero debated on whether or not he should head inside, and settled on needed to do this.

Zero stepped further into the garden. It was covered with weeds and overgrown plants, but as he walked closer to the center, the mass of chaos slowly disintegrated into order. There, at the center of the garden, lay a ting patch of green grass. In the middle, an unmarked grave stood. Even without identification, Zero knew who the grave supposedly held was.

He slowly knelt before the marker, and touched it lightly with his gloved hands. The rock was old and was wearing away. It crumbled at his touch, but it always did. Taking off his mask, he slowly lowed his head until it touched the grave slightly. Then he began to tell the rock things, as if the person that was supposed to be under it could hear what he was saying.

"Hey. It's been a while, right? I haven't come here in a while, so the weeds...I'm sorry about them. I'll clean them up, I swear. I know you don't like it when things are dirtied. The current ruler doesn't really like this place. He thinks that you don't deserve to be treated with respect, but you expected that right?" Zero laughed bitterly. "I haven't changed that much since then." He combed through his brown locks that had long grown long, and looked at it through his fingers. "This should have turned gray by now. It's still good as new, thanks to you."

"Really, it's kind of stupid talking to a rock. I don't even know why I came here. It's wearing down anyways, I bet by the end of next year, this old thing would be long gone. The current ruler probably won't even bat an eyelash if you did disappear. I can't believe that he's technically related to you. He doesn't even have your last name. 'Kingsley'. In what way does that sound like 'vi Britannia' anyways?" Zero sighed. "But he's so like you, same gestures, voice, the same brilliant mind."

"I sometimes think that he's you reincarnated. Crazy, right? You think I'm crazy." Zero trailed off. "I thought you were too. At that time...I really did. I thought you were a monster that only cared about yourself." He turned around and rested his head on the ground before the grave. "But I've had so much time to think this over. You...weren't that bad, I guess. No, you were still a villain. You still needed to be stopped. But, you weren't that bad. I...I would've like to have a tomorrow, maybe with...you?"

Zero felt his eyes burn, and he quickly covered his face. "Really, I'm pathetic. You probably think I'm pathetic, right? Crying over this? What am I doing?" Taking a deep breath, he started again. "You know what, regret is something I'm tried of feeling. I've been feeling regret for over a hundred years now. I'm tired, okay? So, I can't say that I regret, exactly. You would be dead by this time anyways. But...some reason, I can't help but think that you deserved more...just more." The rain fell with full force now, pelting Zero with water. Normally by now, he would've headed back inside, but he didn't. He got up, and stared at the petty grave that was wearing away faster due to the rain. In a sudden surge of...something, some emotion that Zero can't comprehend, he covered the stone with his body. It did little to stop the rain from destroying the marker, but Zero wanted to keep trying.

He knew his efforts were in vain. After kneeling there for hours, with the rain refusing to let up, the stone was reduced to a mere stump. Zero's body had long cramped up, and his legs had gone numb. But he refused to let go. He refused to tear his body away from the only thing that could give him emotion. The only thing that could make him feel alive again. For centuries, Zero had looked over the royal family and the world. Problems aroused easily, and every time, Zero would cut them away without a second thought.

He remained emotionless for so long, he no longer knew what love felt like. He no longer knew what pain felt like. He was merely a shell inside of a body that should have rotted away. Yet, this tiny rock had stirred things inside of him that he was now foreign to. Even though the sensation was new to him, Zero knew what he was feeling.

It was heartbreak.

Heartbreak that his best friend had left him in a world with no one. Heartbreak that said best friend was killed by his own hands. And heartbreak that, even though Zero was still alive, the person he missed so dearly wasn't.

Zero knew he felt this before. Way back when he still could conjure up emotions, he felt this before. Flashes of memories flew back and forth in his mind.

Of a girl. With a beautiful smile, and bright pink hair. Her name...was Euphemia. Yes. Zero knew this girl. He loved her, to the point where he would kill his best friend to avenge her. Zero saw images of this girl, saw images of her...falling backwards...of her slowly dying...and of her dead.

Zero had felt heartbreak at that point in time as well. The experience almost broke him. Yet, now, when he could choose to stop the pain, choose to walk away and never look back at the stone he was stupidly clinging to, he didn't. Because Zero had long forgiven the person who had killed the girl he loved. He had long realized that constant anger towards a dead person wouldn't get him anywhere. So, now, Zero refused to let go of the only memory left of his best friend. He had to hold on, had to seek forgiveness.

Zero knew that he wouldn't be getting forgiveness from angels, but perhaps he could from demons. And who else is better to ask than the Demon King himself? Zero, in the midst of the storm, screamed. He screamed out apologies, pleas, and a name that he promised to the current ruler he would never speak aloud. Zero screamed and screamed until his voice grew hoarse, and the storm finally let out.

There, covered with leaves and mud and rain, Zero knew that he could never be repented for his sins. But he would still try. "Lelouch. Today's your birthday. You're turning six hundred-sixty-six. I'm sorry for taking this birthday away from you." Suzaku stood up from the battered grave that was now barely visible. "I'm sorry. Lelouch. I'm sorry for not understanding you. I'm sorry that our views clashed so much and that I was unwilling to listen."

Suzaku turned to formally face the grave. He knelt before it, and lightly placed a kiss on the top. "Happy Birthday, Lelouch."

And the next day, without anyone noticing, the grave disappeared completely.

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><p><strong><em>Thank you for reading. <em>**


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